


A Gold Soul

by GorseMonster



Series: Far Beyond Paradise Lost [5]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Amaurot (Final Fantasy XIV), Amaurotine Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), First Kiss, First Meetings, First Time, Fluff and Smut, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Mild Kink, Nonbinary Character, Nonbinary Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Other, Romance, Shapeshifting, Soul Bond, Transformation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-02
Updated: 2019-09-02
Packaged: 2020-10-05 20:56:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20495207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GorseMonster/pseuds/GorseMonster
Summary: A young Hades meets an unmasked polymorph in one of Amaurot's parks. Errant and a rare visitor, he finds himself more smitten as each decade passes.Story is 90% with an explicit scene at the end, because I'm out of control.





	A Gold Soul

**Author's Note:**

> I'm finally taking the time to upload this; Iosis is my WoL's Amaurotine self, and I wanted to write a fic that showed how similar the two are, and how that influences a lot of Emet-Selch's patience with the very, very tiny version of his companion.

A polymorph.

Hades, yet a mere boy at 70, stared wide-eyed from behind a wall, watching the young Amaurotine peer around for anybody, pinning their robe up higher around their legs, flexing their fingers as the skin shifted from pale hue, then to slate grey, and digits changed into avian talons, climbing up the tree with ease to reach one of the fruits high up that none of the other citizens had been able to reach, balancing using a long, grey, leathery and spade-tipped tail.

He’d never seen a polymorph in the flesh, though he’d spent the last little while, about ten years, reading about them. The polymorph dragged a talon around the fruit, splitting it into pieces and tossing them in the air, snapping them down with sharp teeth that sliced through the soft fruit. Their tail hung down from the branch, flicking contently. It was around then Hades realised that said Amaurotine was staring back at him. He felt the curious gold hue of their soul creep across his and he recoiled with thorns.

“What’s your name?” they asked, climbing down from the tree, approaching carefully. Mask off and hood down, he made a mental inventory of their face; pale cherry red eyes, short and scruffy silver hair.

Hades swallowed his nervousness and stepped out from behind the wall, giving a small bow. “I-I’m Hades,” he said, trying to sound confident.

The polymorph made a trill of a sound in their throat. “Oh, a nice name! I’m Iosis!” they extended a taloned hand, looked at it and laughed, shaking it as if getting rid of dust, its shape back to normal. Hades took it and he felt as if he could fall into an ocean of gold as his soul tentatively reached back to theirs.

“Iosis...you’re a polymorph, right?”

They nodded gleefully. “Oh yes; just don’t tell anybody taller than us you saw me like that.” Hades had a little bit of an excited shuffle in his feet.

“Will you tell me more?” Iosis nodded again.

The two of them ambled through the streets of Amaurot, no more than children really, at first talking about Iosis’ shapeshifting, and eventually drifting into other conversation, talking about the things they wanted to be when they were older. Fingers wove together in a lazy hold they didn’t even realise they had until Iosis excitedly dragged Hades towards Akaedemia Andyer, expressing their reverence for Lahabrea’s latest work, and all the strange and wonderful creatures they wanted to make as well. Hades gestured to the building itself, and his education towards Emet-Selch’s position, that more could be as grand as this.

“Iosis!” a voice shouted, running over to the two young Amaurotines. “Where have you  _ been? _ ” The polymorph gave a start, making Hades yelp as claws dug into his hand, realising  _ now _ that they had been holding them for...quite some time. “Iosis! It’s been two days, my child; it’s time you came back and resumed your studies!”

Hades blinked as the equally young Amaurotine shied away behind him, their soul curling tightly as if to hide its glittering gold luminescence. “I...saw some birds and I…”

  
The tall figure sighed exasperatedly. “You can’t go off flying with birds; you’re barely even able to get off the ground. It’s lucky you weren’t...seen...Iosis, who is this?” The figure gestured at Hades.

“This is Hades! He’s my friend!” An arm wrapped around him, tugging him tight to Iosis’ side with a sound of distress from the young boy.

A smile curled on the tall, robed figure’s mouth. “Ah, I see. Emet-Selch’s protogé, if I am not mistaken?”

Hades squirmed out of Iosis’ grip, but found himself bound by his hand, gripped tightly.  _ Please stay. Just a bit longer. _ There was desperation in the plea tapped against his soul, and he relaxed with a sigh. “Just so, respected elder. I was on my way to the Architect’s hall when I...ran into Iosis.”

The figure laughed softly. “Please, call me Mitron.”

Hades’ eyes widened slightly, looking at Iosis, and back to Mitron. “You’re...learning to be…?” he asked slowly. 

Iosis shook their head. “No; Mitron is my dad! I’m….” they tried to think of an answer, but it only came as a slow shrug of their shoulders. “I’m gonna show everybody how good it is to be like me?”

Mitron sighed, leaning over to offer a palm for Iosis to step up onto his shoulder with. “I apologise for my willful child, Hades. They are a handful.” Iosis clambered up onto Mitron’s shoulder, feet braced in his elbow. As he stepped back to take Iosis away, Hades called after the two.

“Wait!” He shuffled nervously between his feet, reaching across to the summery gold soul of Iosis, who embraced him gladly. “Can I come see you? Or, we can meet somewhere, later, or…” he rambled, smiling hopefully.

“Once they have finished their studies, they may see you again, young Hades.”

* * *

Officially, this meant it would be a hundred years before Hades would see Iosis again. But, they were a willful child. It was barely six years later when Hades heard a  **thud** at his balcony, the lights of the city illuminating a looming, winged figure behind his curtains. Fearless, he threw them open, greeted with the grinning face of Iosis. A hundred stories up, perched on the balcony railings by birdlike hands and feet. He smiled. He smiled, laughed and opened the balcony door, welcoming the polymorph into his room, neatly arranged, small scale buildings on shelves that he had made. Petal-shaped lights lit the room with a green-gold hue, and a desk with carefully written concept matrices sat in one corner.

“You take this whole Emet-Selch thing very seriously!” Iosis declared after a moment, shaking their body down, aether flickering as modified limbs disappeared, except for two curved horns atop their head.

Hades huffed slightly. “Your first words after so long are to make fun of my studies?”

Iosis tilted their head a bit, blinking. “No? It’s just…” they trailed off with a laugh. “Mitron tries.”

He rubbed the bridge of his nose, chuckling. “Your father is a member of the Convocation and you shirk his teachings so eagerly…” A thought occurred to him. “How did you even find me?”

They scratched the back of their head a bit, blushing. “You have a really...So, souls have colour, yes? We all see it, but also, you can smell a soul too, and yours…” They rubbed their neck. “I’unno. It’s nice. I wasn’t gonna forget it.”

Ah, yes. Hythlodaeus had once mentioned it in one of his excited, addled rambles. He also claimed that a soul had a  _ taste _ but upon this point Hades had decided his good friend had had too much to drink, and escorted him home. How curious that he was not entirely incorrect.

“Did you spend the whole time being a good student? Of course you did,” they laughed softly, circling him and looking around the room. He felt how their aether bristled with joy, yet he felt confused himself; Iosis seemed to bond fast and hard from their behaviour, did they not find another friend?

“And am I safe in assuming you spent your time being a terrible student?” His brows quirked at the question, and Iosis grinned in response. 

“No; I figured out how to fly properly!” 

Well. That explained how they got all the way up. “Those aren’t just for show? Why don’t you travel by rift?” He’d continued his reading of polymorphs on the side, late nights making notes. Few books ever mentioned their personalities beyond “volatile”. “Nonsensical” did not seem to make it into research notes.   
“It’s  _ boring. _ Why do that when a breeze and the rush of the air can take you somewhere?” they ambled over to his bed and flopped back on it with a contented sigh. “Can you...not shapeshift? I’m, uh, still figuring out who can and can’t. Hard to see it.”

Hades chuckled slowly, laying down next to them. “I think you are quite in the minority, little monster.”

A silence fell, and Hades feared he had caused grave offense until Iosis made a soft ‘huh’ noise. “I like that. You can call me that.” They let out a long sigh, lacing their fingers with his and resting their head on his shoulder. The two barely knew each other but the amount of comfort and rightness when they were close was too hard to ignore. “Can I stay here, for tonight? Uncle Lahabrea is away and…”

_ Lonely. _ They were  _ lonely _ . Hades settled an arm around their shoulders and let out a theatrical, resigned sigh. “I  _ suppose _ you may, Iosis. Am I to presume your father knows not your location?”

Iosis let out an amused noise. “You presume correct. He’s given up trying to keep an eye on me all the time. Usually if I go missing for about three days, then he’ll probably ask somebody. Usually uncle Lahabrea.” Iosis rambled on for a while, and before Hades had realised, he had relaxed entirely, gazing at Iosis with a kind of...well, he wouldn’t want to use strong words, but he felt a contentment gazing at them he was unfamiliar with. He found it pleasant. Breathing in slowly, he found his mind filled with the smell of vanilla, warm summers and sweet pastries.

_ Their soul. _ Hythlodaeus  _ was _ right, and not just drunk on aether again.

“...des. Hades? Are you listening?” Iosis called as his mind had wandered, tired and content to let his aether drift amongst a sea of gold. “You look tired. I should let you sleep. The floor is-!” a soft sound of surprise as their wrist was grabbed, looking at Hades’ gold eyes.

“I won’t have my esteemed guest slumber in discomfort on the floor.”  _ Stay here. With me. _

Iosis’ lips curled into a soft smile, a blush creeping onto their cheeks as they laid next to him, clasping his hand in theirs. There was a familiar comfort they found in each other, and while it was Hades that Iosis had claimed was tired, they were the first to fall asleep, warm gold aether blanketing Hades as they relaxed, and his own soul smoothed over the top, twined but not fully, unhinderedly touching. His fingers squeezed their hand fondly, and his eyes lidded shut heavily, passing out in a quiet song of a dream.

By morning, Iosis was gone. He did not see them until the following year, when the same  _ thud _ of a heavy-winged polymorph landing on his balcony pulled his attention from his studies. They talked, laughed and fell asleep together, and just like the year before they were gone by morning. This pattern lasted for twenty years.

* * *

_ Year 2: _

_ _ “Iosis.  _ Iosis. _ You  _ cannot, _ and I cannot express this firmly enough, you  _ cannot  _ create a Concept Matrix with that kind of writing. Here, look,” Hades ranted as he took the scrawled matrix from Iosis, setting it on his drafting table and taking a pencil to it, correcting the strokes and lines across its surface.

They watched carefully, rubbing their chin as they tapped on part of it with a talon. “But this bit needs the roughness. It needs its…” they gestured, unable to quantify what exactly, that was.

Hades heaved a sigh, resting his hand on his chin. “No wonder Mitron is always so exasperated when I see him.”

_ Year 3: _

**Thud.**

Hades eagerly swung open the curtain. The same as last year, and the year before that, the little gargoyle named Iosis had come to visit. “You’ll have to be quiet. My guardian is here tonight.”

Iosis crept in on soft padded feet, shaking themself down to rid their transformations.

“Are they strict?” they asked, tilting their head. Hades chuckled mildly, sprawling on the bed. Iosis perched next to him as he formulated his answer.

“Well, given that I am training to become the next  _ Architect _ , I’m in the care of somebody appropriately...disciplined.”

Iosis made a sound. “So, no late night visits from errant polymorphs shirking their education?”

“Oh, goodness, no. I’d never dream of allowing such a thing.”

“And no secret stashes of aether cocktail in the cabinets?”

Haded jolted to sitting with a start. “How did you know about those?”

Iosis grinned, leaning into him with a show of serrated teeth. “I didn’t.”

_ Year 4: _

“Okay. Tell me about your friend, Hytho-”

“Hyth _ lo _ daeus.”

Iosis nodded a few times. “Tell me about him. You mentioned once he could smell souls too?  _ Is he a polymorph? _ ”

Hades laid a hand over Iosis’, grinning. “Don’t be so hopeful. He is just very well attuned to aether. Enough that he swears he sees something different about me after every visit of yours.” His fingers curled and lazily laced between theirs, the two of them sitting with their backs against the wall, leaning against each other, staring out the window into the glimmering city, blurred by the lash of rain against the glass.

“I’d love to meet him, sometime.”

_ Year 5: _

Iosis frowned as their hands cupped around each other, aether coalescing in their palms as they tried to shape the form of their concept, Hades watching eagerly, nodding them on. A moment later, they lifted the top hand from the other, revealing a teardrop-shaped pearl. “Oh. It’s not quite…”

Hades shook his head. “It’s good. You have more aptitude for spontaneous Creation than I thought. Better than your matrices, I can say that much.”

_ Year 6: _

Hades was waiting this year, and he felt a strange shift in the aether, the wind bent to a specific will, rising further and further up the building until leathery wings blotted out the lights of the city, taloned feet and hands gripping the railing.

“Oh! You were waiting!”

Hades smiled and sighed in a way that could be described as adoring. “Well, you appear to be punctual in this aspect. Rumours say you are a  _ difficult ward _ .”

Iosis clambered down from the railing, shaking off their wings. “Oh, I have rumours? Tell me, great future-Architect, what do the Convocation speak of me?”

He winced slightly. “I do wish you would give them the appropriate respect, little monster. If you must know, though, Mitron has expressed troubles getting you to  _ stop shapeshifting _ instead of actually  _ creating _ concepts. I heard that not a few months ago you were running up and down the halls of Andyer with six tentacles instead of arms.”

Iosis puffed a noise between their lips. “Good luck stopping me, I think Uncle Lahabrea wouldn’t be pleased about that.”

_ Year 7: _

The two laid next to each other on the bed, barely awake, barely any time for banter, much less Hades’ continued attempts at teaching Iosis better discipline with their work. “You said last year...You called Lahabrea ‘Uncle’.”

They nodded tiredly in response. “Mm. Not uncle-uncle. Just...Uncle. He likes my polymorphism. So, sometimes I stay with him.” They tucked themself in close to Hades, softly nuzzling under his chin. “Comfy now. Don’t move.”

Hades blushed lightly as their nose and lips grazed against his throat, lazily running his fingers through their hair. He didn’t move the rest of the night.

_ Year 8: _

“Good evening, Hades!” Iosis trilled, standing directly behind him. He leapt out of his seat at his drafting desk, scattering aether-infused ink and half-finished matrices, spinning on his heel to shout.

“How did you get in here?!” The balcony door wasn’t open, and he had not felt the warm summer gold of their aether which by now, he could sense from hundreds of yards away.

Iosis laughed, grinning and showing off their soft padded feet, not unlike a cat’s. “Trying things out!”

As the polymorph relaxed, he felt the sweet, fresh pastry feel of their soul practically suffuse his own, unhidden. “All the better for sneaking out with?” he asked, calming down from his fright. He turned to his desk, sighing at the mess. “This will take forever to correct.”

Iosis shook their head and tapped the desk twice, ink lifting and flowing back into its wells, only the most recent mark on the blueprint lifting. “I can’t create so good but…”

_ Year 9: _

The two Amaurotines giggled senselessly, finally breaking into the stash of aether cocktails in Hades’ cabinet. He’d crafted them some years ago for a ‘special occasion’. A yearly visit from his friend surely counted for that, did it not?

“Alright, alright, alright, hold on-” Iosis hiccuped, “-hold on, you’re telling me, that the current Emet-Selch actually got there out of spite?”

Hades nodded a few times. “Just so! He was tired of being told what he could and couldn’t do with his skill-” Hades hiccuped, “-so set out to become the next Architect.” His cheeks were flushed bright red with his blush, taking another swig from the bottle of carefully, purposefully crafted aether.

“And you want to do that and not make this?” Iosis asked, gesturing to their own half-empty bottle. “You’d be some kinnn’,” they slurred, wobbling on their feet, “-some kinda paragon’r something.”

Iosis wobbled again, and Hades caught them as they stumbled, pulling them onto the cushioned safety of the bed with him. “I can, hah, I can do  _ both _ , dear monster!” he declared triumphantly.

_ Year 10: _

“Can I touch your horns?” Hades asked after a prolonged silence, the two simply leaning on the railings, watching the people mill on the streets of a sleepless city below them.

“Absolutely not.” The answer was firm and definite.

Hades’ brow furrowed. “Are they not just keratinous protrusions?” He reached and found his fingers nipped by sharkish teeth.

“Don’t touch!”

_ Year 11: _

_ _ “So, your wings don’t work as normal?”

Leathery sails of wings flapped lazily, keeping Iosis aloft in front of Hades, standing out on the balcony. He could see how the aether shifted to give each downbeat extra lift and suspend them for lengths of time that should be impossible at their size.

“They...can? But then I don’t get to do as many tricks. Like this!” Iosis tipped backwards and went into a nosedive, spiralling wildly until their wings opened back up. Wind aether surged, pushing them back upwards with a chaotic tumble, each wing opening to change course until they were back at the balcony, landing with a heavy thud, and then forwards stumble off the railing onto the balcony floor with a grumbled sound of pain.

“A good trick, dear monster.”

_ Year 12: _

“Yes, good! Finally, some progress on your terrible chickenscratch!” Hades declared excitedly, watching Iosis etch carefully into a concept matrix with a taloned finger. As it had turned out, it was less their ability to write that was the issue, but the apparatus.

“That is unwarrantedly mean, Hades,” Iosis huffed, softly batting Hades with a wing as they scraped and etched with diamond-sharp claws. “I’m doing my best.”

Hades leaned over the back of the chair, resting his head between their horns. “You are, little monster. I know.”

_ Year 13: _

Iosis was idly braiding Hades’ hair, it having grown long enough to reach halfway down his back. He did not mind this, reading quietly as the polymorph busied themself with ornamenting his hair with who-knows-what, as he felt miniscule shifts in aether as they created each decoration.

“Your spontaneous creation has got good,” he commented softly, turning a page.

Iosis trilled a content sound in their throat, not unlike a purr. “I only try my best for you,” they admitted brashly, not even thinking about the words. Hades’ ears tingled with the heat of a blush, deepening in hue as the finished braid was draped over his shoulder to look at, small gold beads and thread woven into it.

“So I’m around even when I’m not,”

_ Year 14: _

“Why do you want to work at Andyer, anyway? Besides your uncle.”

Iosis perked up slightly. “Well, I like to...experiment. I like to think I can help out with the manifestation of new and better creations, and, well…” Iosis tapped their lip. “Uncle Lahabrea said that he wanted to see if my polymorphism could aid concept creation but it was well above my head.”

Hades made an amused sound, reclining in his chair. “You are exactly the kind of beautiful oddity I’d expect the Akaedemia to want to pick up.”

“Beautiful?”

Hades sputtered. “In the, sense of, how an oddity can be, strange, and beautiful, and-”

_ Year 15: _

Iosis was sobbing softly, curled up on Hades’ lap and burying their face into his robes as he slowly ran his fingers through their hair, scritching their scalp comfortingly with one hand, the other around their waist, pulling the polymorph close to him to blanket their worn soul with his own. “I know,” he murmured softly.

They tried to speak but it was unintelligible between their heaving breaths and sobs. Hades made a soft hushing noise, pulling his duvet around the both of them as rain lashed outside. “You don’t need to explain. You’re alright, dear monster.”

Tears drying, Iosis shuffled to wrap their arms around him, pressing their forehead against his neck, quiet and calmer for the cool presence of his soul on theirs.

_ Year 16: _

“Can you sing?”

Hades blinked a couple of times. “I beg your pardon?”

Iosis gestured vaguely, standing and wandering around the room aimlessly. “You know, like, uh…” they cleared their throat and they sang a soft, wordless melody, their voice a little nervous and uncertain. “You know, singing.”

He laughed mildly, but enjoyed the sound of their singing voice, different, softer from their rough and uncultured dialect. “Of course I know what singing is, little monster.”

“So, can you?”

A smile tugged at his lips. “I’ll not get any rest from this questioning until I perform for you, will I?”

Iosis only smiled in response, their spade-tipped tail curling and flicking like a cat that was  _ pretending _ they weren’t tremendously interested.

Hades cleared his throat, standing from his desk chair.

_ “Like the moon that makes the tides, that silent guide is calling from inside. And pull me here and push me there, it's everywhere, hanging in the air...” _

Iosis was  _ rapt _ with awe.

_ Year 17 _ :

Hades rubbed his chin, pointing at another scar on Iosis’ arm. “This one?”

“Caught a tree on landing, ripped through the skin,” they answered idly, turning the pages of a book. The weather was uncharacteristically warm for this time of year, and both Amaurotines had foregone heavy communal robes, instead opting for light linen vests and shorts.

He touched another one around their shoulder, one that gnarled the skin. “What about this one?”

Iosis made an amused sound. “Same tree, but the branch went through the muscle.”

Hades flinched, making a face. “Were you unable to heal them swiftly enough?”

They laughed softly in response, leaning into him and sprawling across his lap. “I just wanted to keep the scars.” Hades shook his head slowly in response, running his fingers through their hair, a gentle touch on their horns that made them sigh contently.

“I do not understand you at all, Iosis.”

_ Year 18: _

Two Amaurotines slept peacefully, tucked against each other with arms and legs, hands and fingers laced together. In their dreams, their souls touched unguardedly, but not even breaking the surface. Just to be close to one another, as much as they could be. Rain lashed on the balcony door, and low rumbles of thunder rolled overhead.

_ Year 19: _

“Do you trust me, Hades?” Iosis asked, holding out a hand, standing on the balcony railings. The wind was stopped around them, and he hesitated for a long time before placing his hand in theirs.

“I do.”

Iosis grinned, pulling him into a secure hold and then dropping backwards off the railing with him in their arms, the air rushing around them as they fell, and fell, and fell, Hades getting more panicked by the second until Iosis twisted, opening huge wings to catch a controlled updraft of air, gaining more height than they had lost in the fall. With a few strong flaps, the two found themselves far above the spires of the city. “Okay, so, how’s the view?” the polymorph asked, keeping them aloft on a thermal that their wings could sail on for as long as they wanted.

Hades looked out across the city, barely able to see the figures milling below. “Incredible…”

What he had wanted to say to Iosis was,  _ you’re incredible. _

Iosis grinned again, closing their wings and diving down, gaining speed, Hades squinting but not screaming, trusting Iosis fully this time; soon enough wings opened again, letting the polymorph duck and weave between buildings and trees, a blur of grey and gold zipping past too fast to recognise until catching another thermal, circling back up towards the balcony.

_ Year 20: _

Iosis squinted at Hades from their position on the chair as he scratched away at designs on his desk, tapping his fingers on the wood, a small scale building manifesting, picking it up and examining it.

“Is that the pearl I made years ago?”

Hades gave a start, distracted with his work, a deadline due the next day. His fingers fumbled at his ear with a blush, removing the clip from his lobe. “It...is. And one of the beads you like to braid into my hair. I made a small modification and, I thought…” he trailed off. Iosis was smiling at him contently.

“I like it. It suits you well. Maybe if you actually kept your hair tied up people would get to see it as well!”

Hades grumbled, sweeping his hair over one shoulder, a cascade of glossy mahogany brown, still ornamented with the occasional gold bead he’d missed. “It’s quite fine this length, Iosis.”

The polymorph shrugged, padding over and taking his hair, parting it and beginning to tie it into a fishtail braid. “I never said there was anything wrong with its length. Braiding it is the highlight of my year, infact.”

  
  


On the twenty-first year, while waiting out on the balcony, Iosis did not arrive.

It would be over a hundred years before Hades saw them again.

He waited at his balcony every year, staring out into the gleaming city of Amaurot, waiting for the rush of air, forcibly changed around leathery wings, the thud of thick talons and the thrilled laughter of Iosis, but they never came. But he waited, all the same; through rain that drenched his robes and heat that made his throat dry. Sometimes he would sing, as if it would be heard from wherever Iosis had been secreted away to. Other times, he would lay out small gifts on the balcony as he slept.

Sometimes they would be gone in the morning.

Every year, for over a century.

* * *

“Leaving so soon, my friend?” Hythlodaeus asked, raising his brows. Hades was stacking notes and books together until they formed a neat pile, snapping his fingers and whisking them away for later retrieval.

“Tonight’s the night,” he answered briskly, aether shifting around him as he intended to travel directly back to his house.

Hythlodaeus sighed, shaking his head. “Your imaginary polymorph friend again? It has been fifty years, Hades. I never even saw this person, and I know I enjoy to tell tall tales as much as the next but-”

“They are a real person, they are Mitron’s child, and they are an awful little monster  _ that I miss terribly, _ ” his voice started to break, frowning at how much this was hurting him.

Hythlodaeus sighed, smiling and patting the seat next to him. “I do not believe this is the year your errant polymorph will return, friend. But in lieu of that, perhaps you can tell me all about them instead? There’s a distinct...dusting of gold about your soul, sometimes. A little hint of vanilla in the air. Full well do I know one cannot imitate the presence of another soul, especially not with one such as that.”

Hades paused, and eventually sat down next to Hythlodaeus. “What do you mean, ‘such as that’, Hyth?”

The tall Amaurotine gestured vaguely. “Souls are all kinds of colours. Mixes of colours. Mine is the colour of irises, yours is the hue of black tulips. Gold is...hm. Tell me about Iosis.”

He rubbed his chin slightly. “Iosis is...a troublesome little monster. I still hear the odd bit of discourse about them. Fifty years and still imbuing a Concept’s traits on themself rather than simply creating it as others would do.” There was a laugh in his voice.

Hythlodaeus was entertained by this, resting his chin on his hands and smiling. “Continue, dear friend. You mentioned once their formless creation was skilled.”

Making an affirmatory sound, Hades spoke once again. “I don’t think they ever really appreciated their own skill in it. They could create these tiny, intricate beads like they were simply picking them up from a table. No written intent by it, just-”

Leaning over, Hythlodaeus’ fingers softly touched one of the beads in Hades’ braided hair, looking at the delicate geometric borders filled in with curled filigree. “Is this one of those beads?”

Cheeks turned bright pink with a blush, hidden somewhat by his mask. Hades tugged his hood a little more over his face. “They...made a lot of them. I have a whole box of hundreds of beads that they’d braid in during an evening.”

A hand laid on top of his with a warm squeeze. “Far be it from me to accuse you of such a thing, but the way your soul sings and the reverence you have when you speak...might I be correct in guessing that you are quite in  _ love _ with this polymorph?”

Hades rubbed his shoulder with his free hand, huffing a soft sound. “When you put it like that, old friend, I suppose you would be correct.”

* * *

Outside Akaedemia Andyer on one mild afternoon, the sun creeping its way down between the buildings to glimmer off of gold filigree on the pathways, a new addition he’d been given permission by Emet-Selch to include outside the building, he felt a strange warmth that radiated across his shoulders and down his spine.

_ Iosis? _

Their overflowing soul trained to contain itself, and their body and face hidden by robes and mask. If it hadn’t been for the accidental soft bump of his soul against theirs, he might never have recognised them. He froze, turning on his heel to call for the figure passing by.

“Iosis!”

Hades found himself subject to a tidal wave of gold, pastries and warm sun, curling around him and in his shock, he had not guarded himself well enough, one soul touching the other, nakedly, with a static spark that made him yelp. And yelp a second time as he was swept up in the strong arms of the figure running up to him. “Hades?!  _ Hades!” _ their voice was overjoyed as they hugged him tight, lifting him off the ground, much to the amusement of onlookers. Subdued in passing but every bit the same Iosis he remembered.

“You finally finished your studies, then?” Hades asked after finally getting them to put him down. He could not see their eyes behind the mask, but their lips were more than enough of a smile for him.

Iosis laughed a bit. “Yes, finally. I work with Un...I work with Lahabrea at Akaedemia Andyer. He thinks my polymorphism has potential in the realisation of sturdier Concepts. If we understand the things we are making better by imprinting the design onto ourselves, then the end Concept becomes better constructed.”

_ Fascinating. A little over a hundred years is what it took to get some academic qualities in you. _ “I’m glad you found somewhere for your...unique abilities, little monster.” His voice was calm but could not hide the relief and joy he felt to see his friend after so long.

Iosis made a puff of a sound, prodding Hades’ chest with a clawed finger. “Look around! We’re not so small any more! We’re...well, we’re not elders but-”

Iosis was hushed by the soft touch of Hades’ lips on theirs, lacing his fingers with theirs. A brash display, especially publically, a few little murmurs of surprise at the two so openly physically showing their affection. It was only a few moments, breaking it to softly press foreheads together, covered by masks. “I could not bear to miss my chance and not see you for nearly a hundred years again,” he spoke softly.

The mask hid the bright blush of Iosis’ cheeks but their soul curled and wove itself with his, knitting tightly as if they feared to ever let go again.

** _I love you._ **

A mutual thought, one manifested from years of late nights of Iosis watching Hades study, as he tried to get Iosis to do similar. Tired, sleepless discussions of ambitions slumped on the bed, fingers clasped together or lazily running through hair. Twenty years of those precious, rare nights. But they had both been young, and foolish. So in love with the moments they shared that both feared ruining it if they confessed that they were, infact, in love with one another.

A century is a long time for hindsight to manifest.

“You know, I finally flew the coop. You’d...be welcome to come visit as much as you liked.” Iosis started, slowly. 

Hades laughed. “You have your own residence and thought not of visiting me?”

“I’ve been  _ busy _ , Hades!” Iosis protested with a laugh. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to teach other people how to shapeshift? It’s  _ super _ hard.” Their mouth pulled into a saw-toothed grin, squeezing Hades’ hands. At least their crude, crass parlance had not changed one whit. “But it turns out there’s a lot more polymorphs than previously imagined! Some take to it  _ so well _ , and others…” Iosis tapped their chin. “They do their best.” Perking up again, they bounced on clawed feet. “I promise I’ll visit; I’ll visit tonight. It’s about the right time? I’ll visit, but before then, and before you go anywhere, I have things to show you!”

Hades couldn’t get a word in edgeways as the excited Amaurotine, now over 200 years old, bounded towards Akaedemia Andyer, backstepping to wait for him to catch up. Like not a single thing had changed. Crass, excitable,  _ Iosis. _

* * *

That very night, as Hades lay back in his bed, staring up at the ceiling, he wondered if he had dreamed the afternoon.

Iosis had all but picked him up and carried him to the Words of Lahabrea, showing off their concept matrices that would endow others with the ability to change their bodies. Of course, as a  _ strictly _ academic project, these matrices were permitted only within the halls of Andyer.

_ Hades examined one carefully, turning it in his hands. “It’s so...complex. Did you write this?” _

_ “Are you implying I don’t know how to write a concept matrix?” It was accusing but the grin told him otherwise. They both knew full well Iosis’ matrices a century ago were terrible, chicken-scratch things. “A decade or two on the job had me learn fast.” _

He realised, he had never even mentioned to Iosis where he lived now. Still high above it all, his own apartment, not just a room. Deep brown walls with gold geometric detailing, plush furniture, any of which could be ideal for taking a nap in. Small scale buildings littered the shelves, and a case full of neatly organised gold beads and chains sat next to his dresser, the centre space taken by a pearl earring.

**Thud.**

Hades practically tripped over his own robes as he rushed to the window to swing open the curtain, seeing the smiling figure of Iosis, leaning on the railing. With the Amaurotine’s change in height had come an impressive adjustment needed on their wings, spanning tremendously, enough to blot out the light from the city in the window entirely. “Hello, Hades.”

He pulled the balcony door open and the two fell against each other, pushing masks and hoods away to lock lips, tangling fingers in Hades’ long hair, Iosis’ short hair and pulling bodies close together. It was crude, boorish by Amaurot’s social code, but it had been over a hundred years, and they had earned a little crassness.

“I missed you, Iosis,” Hades said breathlessly, cradling their jaw in one hand while the other’s fingertips stroked along the inside of a wing, bold and curious touches he had never got to make when he was younger. It drew a soft shivering breath from them, their arms wrapping around him tight. 

Iosis made slow, careful eye contact with Hades as they felt the unguarded, bare surface of his soul gently touching against theirs. “Hades…”

“I was just a boy but the first day I saw you I…” His lips softly touched theirs again, and he made a sound. “Yes, I think I knew then that I loved you. And I don’t think it would be too brash for me to say that you did too.”

They laughed, in that soft, trilling way that their throat always produced. “You aren’t incorrect, Hades,” they answered, touching their forehead to his. The shell of their soul receded, allowing his to touch theirs; this was not the most elegant thing, as volts of aether sparked between them in a feedback loop, knees buckling and falling into a heap of arms, legs and wings. Both Amaurotines groaned, dizzy and overwhelmed.

“Oh. That’s...not what I expected,” Iosis wurbled, rubbing their head, stumbling back to their feet with the aid of their wings pushing them off the balcony floor, pulling Hades up afterwards. “Too much?”

“Too much,” Hades agreed, leading Iosis into his room. Grander now than before, warm gold lamps with a design evocative of a webbed wing, and a bed, huge and luxurious, created for two Amaurotines, and not the one that resided there.

“You…” Iosis started, clawed fingers covering their mouth.

“I waited, and…I wanted us to have somewhere comfortable, for when we grew up, if you visited.” Sadness laced his words but was soon forgotten as they wrapped him in a tight hug, shrouding him with their wings, kissing his forehead.

“Hades, you sentimental fool. I love you.” Their lips found his again, moving softly against each other as he slowly lead them to the plush bed, not breaking the kiss until he sat at its edge, lacing his fingers with theirs and shuffling back onto it, a gentle tug to invite them with him.

“Let’s try again. We can’t fall here, at least,” he said with a deep blush on his cheeks, a light chuckle as Iosis slid onto the bed, starting to shake off their extra limbs before Hades stopped them with a touch to an arm. “Stay like this. Like you.”

A relieved, adoring smile reached Iosis’ pale crimson eyes, taloned fingers softly brushing against Hades’ face, his hair long and draping around his neck and shoulders, a little wisp of white at its front, barely there. Glimmers of gold thread and glints of gold beads caught their eyes. His fingers in turn combed softly through Iosis’ hair, short and swept back, curved horns following the shape of their skull.

The cherry hue of Hades’ soul, unguarded, softly reached out to touch Iosis’, an endless expanse of gold, without its shell. “Do you trust me, Iosis?”

“Of course I do.” they replied with a soft smile, gasping as their soul, a place where only they resided in their two centuries of life, was met with a guest, cool and soothing in their sunny fields of gold. “A...ah...Hades,” they gasped, leaning into him, both of them shivering, but not recoiling.

**_I’m here._** His voice was not vocal, it thrummed through every fiber of Iosis’ being and made them press their body tight against Hades. Neither of them dared for more contact beyond the smallest touch, neither of them dared sink deeper for this was already drawing their breaths short and fevered.

Iosis called back, in a manner. Unable to speak through their aether, instead concepts, pictures and feelings. Curls of gold settled into a sweet and floral forest of red-leaved trees, leaving a path of gold grass in their wake as the black cherry hue of him created rivers of stars in the endless, sunny fields of rye. Wandering just at the surface of each other, brushes of more contact made them shiver outwardly and retreat to a more comfortable level.

They heaved a breath in as Hades’ fingers and thumb rubbed at the webbing of their left wing, right where it disappeared into their robes, the physical contact on top of aetheric pulling a shivering moan from their mouth, wings flexing and shuddering.

** _Careful! _ ** Was their first ‘vocal’ speech in their soul. They thought for a moment, him still softly holding the delicate webbing, not making any further moves. They brought a taloned hand to his neck and softly trailed it at what was exposed, just a bit above his collarbones. In return, Hades made a similar sound, Iosis shivering as it was even felt through the careful touch of their souls.

**_It’s nice,_** he answered after a while, pressing his lips to theirs, pulling them close, trying again to sink just a little more of his aether, but that same feedback loop nearly flinging them far apart again. But, not before it drew a groan from them both, bodies pressed tight together, Iosis making pointed eye contact, cheeks afire with a blush as they felt the very _physical_ presence of Hades’ desire.

It was deeply frowned upon to engage in physical intimacy on that level without the intent for procreation. Yet, for both of them, their inner feelings may as well have been shouted to each other with how their souls were not just woven against each other but joined, if only by the most delicate threads.

“Do you...want to?” Iosis was the first to ask, bold and brash as ever, carefully winding their fingers through his long, silky hair, soft waves and curls spilling over robes.

Hades sputtered slightly, arching his back as the gold presence of Iosis’ soul pressed a little firmer to him. “A-ah...that...is  _ cheating _ , my dear!” he moaned softly, fingers gripping the soft fabric of Iosis’ robes, heavy and covering almost their entire body. “You awful little monster,” he teased after catching his breath. His fingers slowly touched along a curved horn, his nail catching each ridge and drawing small twitches of their body from them.

“You didnnnn’t answer th-...the question,” Iosis huffed between strained breaths, falling limp against him as he continued to rub the bony surface of their horns. Even with just the smallest join of their souls, both of them felt overwhelmed with every touch. 

Hades felt the pinch of sharp talons pressing against his skin, even though the dense layers of his robes; the fabric becoming too stifling by the second. “Yes. I want to.” His answer was firm, even though his breaths were shallow and feverish.

Iosis’ breath hitched in their throat, cheeks radiating bright pink as he responded.

“We can’t tell anybody,” Hades pleaded.

“Of course. Of course. Of course we can’t,” Iosis was nodding frantically in agreement as they fumbled with their robes, tangled in wings. Hades stilled their hands, bringing one close to kiss softly at the inside of their wrist.

** _I have a trick to show you._ ** His inner voice was confident, bold, and laced with want. His free hand pressed middle finger and thumb together, producing a loud  **snap** .

Cool air from the outside wrapped around two nude bodies and the two Amaurotines felt themselves faced with the reality of the situation, staring wordlessly at each other, eyes not going anywhere else, forcefully. At least, not for a little while until Hades’ eyes wandered across Iosis’ shoulders, broad with well toned muscles, much like the rest of their body. His eyes focused on the blend of strong leathery pelt into soft, bare skin. He saw the way the bird-like plates on their taloned hands faded into the rest of their arm. He saw how scarred their skin was, and he knew every single mark was from a mishap, memories filtering over their connection as he touched each one. A fall from a building, unable to transform in time. A trip over a railing, scraping their side on ornamental spikes.

Without thinking, he found himself sinking deeper within their soul, desire and a need to  _ devour _ every part of them so it may be part of him, until his voice was called. “H...Hades. Hades.  _ Hades!” _ Iosis was  _ whimpering _ , and the scrape of talons on his sides made him gasp, settling back at the surface. “Too much,” they said, panting.

He cupped their jaw, dizzy from changing between two places. “I’m sorry.”

Iosis shook their head silently. He could almost hear something within their soul, but it was more of a feeling, a concept than words. Whatever it was it made the fire in his face rush down his spine to his pelvis, his arousal aching with need. Distracted by unfamiliar sensations, it wasn’t until his fingers found the heat of Iosis as their hand nestled one of his between their legs. The pads of his fingers smoothed across soft skin, slick with need, and he opened his mouth to speak but could not find the words.

“If you’re going to touch, at least touch here,” they teased, slowly grinding their hips against his hand. Their individual confidences waxed and waned, taking turns to stutter and be sly, but there was a dim glow in Hades’ winter gold eyes, and his free hand pulled Iosis in to crush his lips against theirs, fingers slipping between folds to stroke and explore, finding what made the polymorph twitch and moan muffledly into his kiss. His back arched and static screeched through their connection as the pads of Iosis’ fingers stroked across his arousal, thumb running over the slit of aching flesh. The feedback made them collapse against each other, Iosis’ forehead pressed into the crook of his neck.

There was no doubt for either of them as Hades’ kissed their shoulder.

** _More._ ** It was a plea from his soul, baring more of it to Iosis, which they gladly took, as the space within their aether became not just an individual place for either of them, but shared. They arched their back into him, pressing their heat into his fingers, two just barely slipping within them, one taloned hand tangling into his long hair and the other squeezing softly at his erection, both of them vocalising the burning  _ delight _ of this intimacy, closeness not just aetheric but physical. His fingers slowly sank into the wet heat of their body, urged on by the sensations, the not-words Iosis communicated with. Both of them could lose themselves in each other in an instant, kept separate only by the physical sensations they placed on each other.

“Io..Iosis,  _ Iosis, _ ” Hades rumbled lowly, as the polymorph nipped at his shoulder with sharp teeth, grinding their hips against his fingers, stroking the front wall firmly. Their awareness snapped back with that touch, swallowing a cry of delight, their eyes meeting his. “Lay back.” He withdrew his fingers, rubbing slowly at the aching bundle of nerves at the apex of their folds, stealing a blissful moan from them that set his nerves alight with need. They nodded a couple of times, mutely, trying to speak but the only sounds being nonsensical, interrupted with shivers or mewls of pleasure. Slowly reclining onto their back, sprawling their wings out to not pin them uncomfortably, Hades looming over them, pressing his knee between their legs to part them. 

Encouraging a polymorph, physical intimacy...Hades did not linger on the thoughts of how many taboos he was breaking, not for fear but for how much every single one  _ thrilled _ him, able to push him to the edge on the idea of them alone.

His hair spilled over his shoulders onto their body, drawing their face into a soft, faint laugh as it tickled amongst the overwhelming  _ need _ both of them shared.

He couldn’t wait, not a second longer, not after a century, and with a soft kiss to their forehead, he pulled their hips to his, reveling in grinding against them for a few moments until he shifted his body and pressed into them. Talons sank into his arms, drawing bright red blood from his skin. He knew it should have hurt but instead he groaned in delight, rolling his hips, sinking his arousal until his pelvis met theirs. Hunched over, he laid kisses around their jaw and neck, Iosis trying to vocalise.

“Ah..Hades...It’s, it’s  _ good _ ,” they finally spoke, opening their eyes to gaze at him, already looking exhausted.

“Only good, my love? You can say more than that,” Hades purred, gripping their hips and pulling them up onto his lap, legs around his waist, pressing his thumb against the aching arousal of their clit.

What they couldn’t vocalise amidst their ecstasy and reverent cries, their soul wrapped him in instead; relief, adoration, want, need, desire, and Hades knew in all of this they had never felt those things for a single other Amaurotine.

Hades smiled, slowly rolling his hips, aetheric and physical pleasure crashing together, soon finding himself lost in it as he took the polymorph in body and soul, his thumb slowly pressing and rubbing upwards at the swollen bundle of nerves at their apex, making firm circles around its sensitive skin, his other hand’s nails slowly dragging on the inner membrane of their wing where it joined to their body. 

The sounds Iosis made were not those of any average Amaurotine; gasps and growls that were near otherworldly, monstrous, just like their body. Hades  _ reveled _ in them, drinking in every sound as his thrusts became harder, needier, chasing his own pleasure more and more over Iosis’ as the pressure in his body built to a fevered, searing ache.

** _Little monster,_ ** he called, a voice that permeated through Iosis physically, through their bones down to their soul.  ** _Little monster, I...want you. With me. Please. _ ** ** _Please._ **

He could not vocalise any more as all he could do was shudder and groan and  _ growl. _ He wanted them with him when he peaked, he would have it no other way.

And his wish, he got. Iosis’ body drew tight like a string, arching up into him as he felt the squeeze of their body around his shaft, and he could bear no more as his hips lurched forward to press tight against them, bucking sharply once, twice and then spilling heat within milking walls as his throat barked soft cries of pleasure. Iosis was near silent, biting one of their knuckles, the other hand gripping Hades’ shoulder tight, talons sunk through skin.

** _Let me hear you,_ ** he begged, the feel of talons lancing through flesh drawing out his climax. Iosis let go of the knuckle held in their teeth and  _ howled _ in ecstasy, their soul practically shrieking his name.

It was some time before the two came down from the bliss of their shared orgasm, Hades, still intimately joined with Iosis, rocking his body against theirs with slow, lazy thrusts, tucking his head under theirs to kiss their throat, the vibrations of soft moans making his hips buck. Iosis’ arms were wrapped loosely around him, their wings twitching with each aftershock. “We can’t tell anyone,” they murmured exhaustedly, still enmeshed with him aetherically.

** _Not a soul,_ ** Hades agreed, slowly slumping back as his arousal subsided, leaning against the back wall, supported by plush pillows. He lazily kissed wherever his lips found, eventually leaving one on a stiff nipple, making Iosis take a sharp breath, body stiffening, squeezing him within.

“ _ Careful _ ,” they implored, running their fingers through long, wavy hair as they settled with their head just below his shoulder. One of his hands softly laid on a shoulder and Iosis’ gaze looked along it, seeing healing punctures, drying blood clinging to skin, and his fingers tipped with claws at the end. Their head thudded back onto the bed and they made a rattling, amused laugh. “I guess you  _ do _ have a little monster in you,” they murmured, souls so tangled that it was of no surprise that some of Iosis’ innate shapeshifting would imprint onto him.

“Stay with me, Iosis,” Hades asked softly between forcefully measured breaths.

Iosis smiled tiredly. “I’m a free monster, Hades; of course I can stay the night.”

He shook his head, rubbing their shoulder with a thumb. His soul drifted aimlessly within theirs, and offered out a path of abyssal pitch, strewn with stars. To him. To here. “I mean...live with me. No more waiting on balconies. Getting to wake up with...you, here.”

Their brows raised slightly, and too tired to hide their thoughts they imagined that future. Together, like this. They allowed him to see every last path their mind took before a peaceful smile curled onto their face.  ** _I’m a free monster, Hades; of course I can stay with you._ **

So content was he in their answer, that his eyes drifted shut, the raucousness of his aether falling quiet as he slipped into slumber. The polymorph smiled, closing their eyes, wings dispersing into aether and allowing them a more comfortable position. One arm across his chest and the other tucked under his waist, souls still joined as the slumbering of Hades dragged them down with him. “I love you Hades; I always will.”

Pale cherry-hued eyes slid shut, and both of them were lost to dreams.

* * *

“Well well, making space? A new project perhaps, old friend?” Hythlodaeus asked as he wandered into Hades’ apartment, looking at how shelves had been cleared and items stashed away in personal inventories.

Giving a slight start at his friend entering without even noticing, Hades cursed how distracted he was by his sheer excitement. Iosis would be here soon, and he would never have to wait another night on his balcony for them. “Not...exactly.”

Hythlodaeus squinted, seeing a swirl of gold not just dusted upon him but infused into his aether. “Ah, I  _ see. _ I  ** _see._ ** ” His voice was teasing, knowing as he looked towards the balcony doors, a strange shift in wind aether tickling his senses. “I suppose you have waited a long time.”

**Thud.**

Taloned feet landed on the balcony, wings blocking out light until they dispersed into aether, a horned head dipping through the door. “Hades?” their voice called, wandering around in the bedroom before entering the hallway, seeing Hythlodaeus. They knew, just on the sight, the smell of his soul who he was, just as he knew who they were. “Hythlodaeus…”

He had a knowing smile, his aether curiously tiptoeing across their soul, stained with splashes of black tulip and cherry hue. “Hello, my new friend,” he said with a mild chuckle. “I’ve heard so much about you over the last century. It is good to finally meet you.”

Iosis’ soul reached out with a gentle touch, no longer seeing him as a secondhand imprint on Hades, yet still so familiar.

Hades emerged from the kitchen, blinking at the two Amaurotines smiling at each other. “Hyth, my good friend, this is Iosis. My…”

“A little too soon for that, friend. But soon, yes.” Hythlodaeus was chuckling, patting Hades on the shoulder. “They are as incandescently stunning as you’ve described. No wonder you did not even glance at another soul in all those years.”

Iosis blushed, rubbing one of their ears. “You...talked about me like that?”

Hythlodaeus laughed. “Oh yes, at great length. He has always quite adored you.”

“Loved,” Hades said plainly, twining his fingers with Iosis’.

Smiling warmly, Hythlodaeus tapped the countertop, three glasses of lightly swirling cocktail manifesting, passed out. “Let us toast, then.” He cleared his throat and straightened his back.

“To old friends. To new friends. And, to new old friends.”

  
  



End file.
